Removing oil, grease, wax, resin and chewing gum

Important: Identifying the type of leather

Correctly identifying the type of leather is important when removing stains from leather. An incorrect cleaning method can quickly make damage worse.

Pigmented smooth leather:

Pigmented smooth leather is leather with a colour layer on its surface. A drop of water rubbed in does not penetrate the leather but beads off. Pigmented smooth leather is generally satin-matt and has a grained surface.

Aniline leather:

Aniline leather is open-pore smooth leather. A drop of water rubbed in is absorbed and darkens the moistened area.

Suede leather:

Suede leather has a velours-like surface. Nubuck leather has a very fine nap. Velours leather has a stronger nap, like the reverse side of a leather hide.

PU leather:

PU leather, also known as Bycast leather, is split suede leather to which a polyurethane coating has been applied so that it looks like smooth leather. PU leather is easily recognisable by its shine and plastic-like feel.

Oil and grease stains

Fresh oil or grease stains can often still be removed successfully. The chances diminish when grease has already been absorbed for a long time, the oils were coloured (e.g. coloured lamp oils), or unsuitable cleaning products have already been tried.

Colourlock Grease Absorber Paste is a solvent-containing, gel-like paste with added absorption powder. The solvent dissolves the grease and the powder absorbs it. Suitable for pigmented smooth leather, aniline leather and suede leather. On suede leather, the surface can be brushed carefully after treatment or roughened with the Sanding Pad. Remaining light shadows on open-pore leather can often be lightened by stretching the surface or blended with sparingly applied care products.

Where hair grease has been absorbed over many years or incorrect cleaning attempts have created edges, no do-it-yourself product will help; please contact us directly instead.

Soot stains

Soot smears from fireplaces or hearths are greasy and stick to leather. Cleaning pigmented smooth leather is easy: Anything that cannot be removed with Colourlock Leather Cleaner mild and the Leather cleaning brush brown is reliably removed by Leather Cleaning Spirit.

More caution is needed with aniline leather and suede leather because soot penetrates the open-pore surface and wet cleaning can create edges. First try brushing the stains away dry with the brush. If this does not work, carefully follow up with a cloth lightly moistened with Leather Cleaning Spirit. Then compensate slightly for lightening caused by the cleaning with Colourlock Aniline Protector.

Wax stains

Candle wax on leather is a frequent problem, especially around Christmas. Open-pore leather is more difficult to treat because liquid wax is absorbed. Coloured waxes are also problematic because the dyes can permanently discolour the leather.

Dried wax on the surface that has not been absorbed:
Wax becomes harder and therefore more brittle in the cold. The colder wax that has not been absorbed is, the easier it is to remove. The most effective method is to cool the wax with a compressed-air gun so that it flakes off.
Without compressed air, you can use a freezer pack. Wrap the freezer pack in a dry cloth (to protect against condensation water stains) and place it on the stain until the wax is cold and brittle. Then make the wax flake off by splitting and rolling the leather.

On pigmented smooth leather, you can warm the residue with a hairdryer and wipe off the liquefied wax with a cloth.
IMPORTANT: This does not work on open-pore leather, as the wax then penetrates even deeper.

Absorbed wax stains:
Briefly warm residue stains with a hairdryer and immediately rub absorption powder (or chalk dust or magnesium powder from a pharmacy) into the still-warm stain, then let it cool. The powder absorbs the liquid wax. Remove with a vacuum cleaner or leather brush and repeat the process until no further improvement is achieved.

It cannot be guaranteed that the stain will disappear completely; particularly with coloured waxes, residual discolouration may remain. In such cases, professional colour repair is necessary. We will be very happy to help you.

Clothing with absorbed wax stains is best taken to a specialist cleaner. The prospects of success are good there.

Resin stains

On pigmented smooth leather, first remove sticky residue by repeatedly applying and peeling off masking tape/crepe tape; this is the gentlest method. However, crusted or heavily rubbed-in resin cannot be loosened further this way. Next, try turpentine and our Leather Cleaning Spirit, with turpentine as the first choice. Always test both solvents first in a concealed area.

Resin is more difficult to remove from open-pore leather. Try the crepe-tape method first. Use solvents only very carefully and sparingly.

Chewing gum

Make chewing gum on pigmented smooth leather as cold as possible. Again, use a freezer pack or ice spray. Cold chewing gum becomes stiff and firm and therefore more brittle. Residue stains can sometimes be removed with a transparent eraser. Then remove the surface with Leather Cleaning Spirit.

On aniline leather and suede leather, chewing-gum residue leaves stains and sticks together the nap of suede leather. With these leather types as well, cool larger residue with a freezer pack from the freezer compartment and try to remove it. Even we in the workshop cannot remove residue stains in every case.